There are thousands of languages on the planet, and languages like Spanish or English have tens or hundreds of thousands of words, so it is easy to estimate that the number of terms circulating around the world is in the millions.
Thus, no matter how rich a language may be, it is equally logical to deduce that there will be words in other languages that cannot be translated into this one, whatever it may be.
Spanish includes curiosities such as words that can be pronounced but not written, and offers the world exclusive terms such as ‘siesta’ or ‘sobremesa’, so that other countries have a way of referring to this custom of taking a nap in the middle of the day and extending the meal with a good conversation, respectively.
However, the power of Spanish is also limited, and there are several words in other languages that do not have a clear translation or an equivalent term in Spanish: they cannot be named without resorting to the original language or taking a linguistic detour to try to define it.
These are some Curious and beautiful foreign words that cannot be translated into Spanish:
- Yakamoz (Turkish) and Mangata (Swedish): In Spanish or Castilian there is not a single word that can be used to describe the reflection of the moon in the waterbut Turkish and Swedish come to their aid with these terms. The first refers to the reflection of any light in water, while the second literally translates as moon path or road.
- Verschlimmbessern (German). Who has not experienced that tries to fix a small problem, but ends up messing it up and making it even bigger. From Germany comes the way of saying all this with a single word: Verschlimmbessern.
- Utepils (Norwegian). The utepils It is not just any drink, but a beer that is drunk outdoorsThe arrival of a sunny day with good weather in Norway takes longer than in other countries, so the occasion is special and deserves a specific name.
- Unraveling (Portuguese). Solve a problem or complete a task, but do so with a completely improvised solution: that’s all that is hidden behind this Portuguese word.
- Hyggelig (Danish). Cozy, safe, friendly, loving, intimate, happy, comfortable… Almost all of them positive feelings are contained in this single 8-letter term, frequently used in Denmark for the daily life of its people.
- Abbiocco (Italian). To that feeling sleepy after a meal copious is called in Italy “having the abbiocco” (“have the abbeyIn Spain, “modorra” is used as a similar term, although the RAE does not include any reference to food (“Drowsiness or intense drowsiness that can sometimes be caused by some illness”), while in Mexico they do hit the nail on the head with their “mal de puerco”.
- Treppenwitz (German). The typical perfect joke or witty comment that occurs to you… when it’s already too lateIn Germany they have this word to describe this frustrating event, which literally means ‘ladder joke’.
- Frisson (French). “That peculiar mix of excitement and fear that can accompany momentous events” would be a fairly accurate definition (as far as possible) of frissonwhich combines the joy, vertigo and adrenaline of those special moments.
- Koi no yokan (Japanese). You are introduced to a person and you feel something different: it is not a crush or infatuation yet, but something like feeling that you are going to fall in loveSomething so specific and romantic that it has a word in Japanese.
- Viraha (Hindi)Continuing with love, but changing the language, this term appears, which describes that moment of Confirmation of love when a loved one leaves.
- Pana Po’o (Hawaiian). From Hawaii comes this nice word, which refers to that comic book moment in which a person He scratches his head to try to search his memory and remember something.
- Flaneur (French)Machado wrote his famous poem “Walker, there is no path…”, Tolkien reminded us that not everyone who wanders is lost… and the French have a word to describe all that. He flâneur is someone who walks aimlessly, for the pleasure of walking.but attentive to the stimuli that it finds in its path.
- Goya (urdu)Continuing with the novels, stories and texts, this word from this language spoken in Pakistan or India is used to describe the the feeling that good stories leave of being absorbed by their alternative realityas if you had left the real world.
- Podvig (Russian). Podvig was the term with which Nabokov titled one of his works (translated into Spanish as Glory), and refers to a kind of bold and heroic act performed under adverse circumstancesas well as the particular feeling of when a dream comes true.
- Umami (Japanese). The terms sweet, sour, bitter and salty are not enough to describe the flavors in Japan, which thus include the term umami (coined by Kikunae Ikeda, a scientist who studied the amino acid glutamate responsible for its flavor) to describe a fifth taste.
- Litost (Czech). “Litost is a Czech word that cannot be translated into other languages. It represents a feeling as immense as an extended accordion, a feeling that is a synthesis of many others: sadness, compassion, reproaches and nostalgia,” explains the writer Milan Kundera in The book of laughter and forgetting. He himself cannot find a suitable synonym: “On certain occasions litost “On the contrary, it has a very narrow, particular, strict and precise meaning, like the edge of a knife. I search for a similarity in other languages, also in vain, although I cannot imagine how anyone can understand the human soul without it,” he adds.
- Friluftsliv (Norwegian). Once again a writer appears behind a foreign term with no apparent translation into Spanish. In this case it is Henrik Ibsen, a famous writer in Norway, who patented this term, which refers to the action of go out, contemplate and connect with nature.
- Toska (Russian). Something similar to a drop in mood, but possibly this word in Spanish falls short to define toska: a kind of anguish, sadness and feeling of emptiness that comes suddenly, sometimes for no apparent reason, other times related to lovesickness or missing someone.
- Tartle (Scottish). You have probably experienced some situation (or several) in which this term would have come in handy (unfortunately). Tartle It is used to define that awkward moment when you’re introducing a person to someone… but you forget their name.
- Schadenfreude (German). If you have ever rejoicing in the misfortune of others, Schadenfreude is your word. This German term designates the feeling of joy or satisfaction generated by the suffering, pain or unhappiness of another person.
- Gigil (Philippine). Almost at the other extreme is gigila Filipino word used to express that urge to pinch something tendersuch as a baby, a stuffed animal, or a puppy.
- Gattara (Italian). Older, lonely woman who pet cats: is the close definition that can be associated with cat. In short, something like the crazy cat lady The Simpsons.
- Tsundoku (Japanese). This Japanese term describes the habit of acquiring all kinds of books or reading materials, but without reading them, letting them pile up on the shelves and around the house.
- Samar (Arab). If in Spanish there is the term sobremesa, without exact translation in most languages, in Arabic there is Samarwhich refers to sit and talk to people at duskwhile the sun is setting.
- Manja (Malay)Have you seen or had a childish, cloying behavior and excessively sweet in a couple? That’s it manja.
- Pochemuchka (Russian). Boys and girls, journalists, curious, restless… Pochemuchka name those people who never stop asking questions.
- Tingo (Eastern). It has probably happened to you that you have borrowed a book or another object, and you are still waiting for it to be returned. Well, that’s it, borrow and not returnis tingo.
- Komorebi (Japanese). He veiled light effectwhen crossing the vegetation: that is so specific komorebione more word in another language that cannot be translated into Spanish.
- Fernweh (German)Can you feel nostalgia or longing for a place you haven’t been? It is possible, and it has a name in German: Fernweha kind of passion for travel or desire to get out and go far away.
Sources: Babbel, Scientific American, Public, The Confidential, Cope
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Tags: Languages, Curiosities